The principal traits of the Character of Lady Una as portrayed in The Faerie Queene, Book-1

Spenser’s heroines are paragons of beauty and virtue. Lady Una, the heroine of The Faerie Queene, Book-1 is no exception in this regard. She has been portrayed as both an individual and a type. She stands for beauty, truth, goodness, wisdom and innocence, the qualities which Plato had taught his disciples to regard as identical. Lady Una is a combination of such excellent qualities as truthfulness, constancy of purpose,

a strong filial devotion, a steadfast love for the man to whom she has given her heart, strong determination, unfaltering courage, a generous and compassionate heart, and an invincible sense of honour.

Lady Una is introduced to us, in the very first Canto, as a lovely lady riding upon humble ass. The ass is of white colour but the lady is even more beautifully white than the ass. However, her beauty is hidden under a veil which is gathered into folds and which falls considerably below her face. Over her head and her veil, she is wearing a black long robe. She looks like a person inwardly mourning some loss. She is in a sad mood and sits dejectedly upon her slow-moving ass. She is also leading a milk-white lamb by a string. The lady is as pure and innocent as that lamb which walks behind her.

Then we know that she is a loving and dutiful daughter of a king. She has passed her girlhood, in all comforts and luxury, under the sheltered care of her parents. She is weak and pure having no meek lamb that follows her:

“So pure and innocent as that same lamb

She was in life and every virtuous lore”

Lady Una’s love for the Red Cross Knight is genuine and unalloyed. She always accompanies the Knight in his journey and gives useful advice and inspiration in time of need. After a troublesome journey, when the Knight through the wood comes to a hollow cave, which later on is proved to be the cave of the monster Error, the lady cautions the Knight saying,

“Be well aware,………

Least suddonne mischiefe ye too rash provoke

The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde,

Breedes dreadfull doubts, Oft fire is without smoke

And perill without show: therefore your stroke

Sir Knight withhold, till further triall made.”

The lady’s advice here seems to be sound and appropriate for the occasion. Since she is the daughter of the king of the Faery land, she is well aware of the danger of this place, and warns the Knight in time. When the Knight answers to the lady’s cautionary words, “Ah Ladie (said he) shame were to revoke/ The forward footing for an hidden shade”, she tells that the danger of this place is known to her better than to him.

At the lady’s words of encouragement the Knight, collecting all his strength, manages to free one of his hands. With this free hand he presses the monster’s throat with so much force that she is compelled to relax her wicked coils within which she has so long been holding the Knight. Thus Una’s timely inspiration is necessary for the Knight to fight against his adversary.

Lady Una’s wisdom is proved on many occasions. In short, she is the apotheosis of woman kind. She is Spenser’s ideal of a perfect woman. Duty, love, forgiveness, patience, innocence and wisdom are important qualities of her character. She is stands for ‘Truth’ or the true Religion of the Anglican Church.